England's Lionesses returned to a heroes' welcome on Monday, less than 24 hours after their dramatic penalty-shootout victory against world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 final.&nbsp;Chloe Kelly converted the decisive spot-kick in the Swiss city of Basel as Sarina Wiegman's team successfully defended the European women's crown they won at Wembley in 2022.&nbsp;Supporters, many of whom were dressed in England kits and holding flags, cheered as they waited outside Southend airport, about 40 miles (64 kilometres) east of London.&nbsp;In a post on X, the team shared a photo of the trophy draped in an England flag on a seat on the plane, which had "Home" painted in red letters on its side.&nbsp;The aircraft was welcomed with a water salute from two fire engines after landing. Captain Leah Williamson and manager Wiegman were the first off, with the skipper proudly holding the trophy.&nbsp;Among the waiting supporters were twins Poppy and Daisy Macdonald, 11, who were holding a sign asking for a photo with star striker Alessia Russo.&nbsp;"We're so proud. They've won it two times in a row and they've worked so hard for it," said Poppy. "They've had a lot of injuries and setbacks but they've done really well."&nbsp;The Lionesses were whisked straight to 10 Downing Street, the working home of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer which was decked out in England flags.&nbsp;"What a team. What a game. What drama. You dug deep when it mattered most and you've made the nation proud. History makers," Starmer wrote in a message to the Lionesses on X.&nbsp;The team were hosted at number 10 by Deputy Prime minister Angela Rayner and Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock while Starmer was in Scotland meeting US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Rayner hailed the players as a "shining example of talent and excitement for women’s football".&nbsp;An open-top bus parade will follow on Tuesday, culminating in a celebration in front of Buckingham Palace.&nbsp;Victory in Switzerland was sweet revenge for Wiegman's defending champions, who suffered bitter defeat against the same opponents in the World Cup final two years ago.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravi-ashwin-slams-england-double-standards-over-handshake-saga-in-manchester-test-1753709560665">Ravi Ashwin slams England’s ‘double standards’ over ‘handshake saga’ in Manchester Test</a><h2>Late drama</h2>Victory in Switzerland on Sunday capped a remarkable tournament packed with late drama for England.&nbsp;Wiegman's team were slow out of the blocks, losing their first match against France, before comfortable wins over the Netherlands and Wales in the group phase.&nbsp;They came back from 2-0 down against Sweden in the quarter-finals before winning on penalties, and sealed their spot in Sunday's final with a last-gasp extra-time win over Italy.&nbsp;The defending champions again fell behind against Spain on Sunday but Russo cancelled out Mariona Caldentey's first-half opener and the teams were still locked at 1-1 at the end of extra-time.&nbsp;Two penalty saves by player-of-the-match Hannah Hampton and Salma Paralluelo's miss set the stage for Kelly, who also scored the winner against Germany in the 2022 final.&nbsp;In total, the Lionesses led for fewer than five minutes across the entire Euros knockout stage.&nbsp;"I must admit that this is the most chaotic and ridiculous tournament we have played," said Wiegman.&nbsp;"The players say we can win by any means, and we just never, ever give up."&nbsp;The Dutch coach, who has now won three European Championship crowns in a row, having led the Netherlands to victory in 2017, said she hoped England's win would boost women's football across the globe.&nbsp;"How I've experienced this tournament is that the level went up again, the intensity of the games went through the roof," she said. "That's what we've seen.&nbsp;"We've seen it in the games, but also in the data we have. I think this tournament broke every record again and that's great, and I hope that that will boost the women's game everywhere."&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Chloe Kelly converted the decisive spot-kick in the Swiss city of Basel as Sarina Wiegman's team successfully defended the European women's crown they won at Wembley in 2022.

England's Lionesses returned to a heroes' welcome on Monday, less than 24 hours after their dramatic penalty-shootout victory against world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 final. Chloe Kelly converted the decisive spot-kick in the Swiss city of Basel as Sarina Wiegman's team successfully defended the European women's crown they won at Wembley in 2022. Supporters, many of whom were dressed in England kits and holding flags, cheered as they waited outside Southend airport, about 40 miles (64 kilometres) east of London. In a post on X, the team shared a photo of the trophy draped in an England flag on a seat on the plane, which had "Home" painted in red letters on its side. The aircraft was welcomed with a water salute from two fire engines after landing. Captain Leah Williamson and manager Wiegman were the first off, with the skipper proudly holding the trophy. Among the waiting supporters were twins Poppy and Daisy Macdonald, 11, who were holding a sign asking for a photo with star striker Alessia Russo. "We're so proud. They've won it two times in a row and they've worked so hard for it," said Poppy. "They've had a lot of injuries and setbacks but they've done really well." The Lionesses were whisked straight to 10 Downing Street, the working home of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer which was decked out in England flags. "What a team. What a game. What drama. You dug deep when it mattered most and you've made the nation proud. History makers," Starmer wrote in a message to the Lionesses on X. The team were hosted at number 10 by Deputy Prime minister Angela Rayner and Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock while Starmer was in Scotland meeting US President Donald Trump. Rayner hailed the players as a "shining example of talent and excitement for women’s football". An open-top bus parade will follow on Tuesday, culminating in a celebration in front of Buckingham Palace. Victory in Switzerland was sweet revenge for Wiegman's defending champions, who suffered bitter defeat against the same opponents in the World Cup final two years ago. ALSO READ | Ravi Ashwin slams England’s ‘double standards’ over ‘handshake saga’ in Manchester Test Late drama Victory in Switzerland on Sunday capped a remarkable tournament packed with late drama for England. Wiegman's team were slow out of the blocks, losing their first match against France, before comfortable wins over the Netherlands and Wales in the group phase. They came back from 2-0 down against Sweden in the quarter-finals before winning on penalties, and sealed their spot in Sunday's final with a last-gasp extra-time win over Italy. The defending champions again fell behind against Spain on Sunday but Russo cancelled out Mariona Caldentey's first-half opener and the teams were still locked at 1-1 at the end of extra-time. Two penalty saves by player-of-the-match Hannah Hampton and Salma Paralluelo's miss set the stage for Kelly, who also scored the winner against Germany in the 2022 final. In total, the Lionesses led for fewer than five minutes across the entire Euros knockout stage. "I must admit that this is the most chaotic and ridiculous tournament we have played," said Wiegman. "The players say we can win by any means, and we just never, ever give up." The Dutch coach, who has now won three European Championship crowns in a row, having led the Netherlands to victory in 2017, said she hoped England's win would boost women's football across the globe. "How I've experienced this tournament is that the level went up again, the intensity of the games went through the roof," she said. "That's what we've seen. "We've seen it in the games, but also in the data we have. I think this tournament broke every record again and that's great, and I hope that that will boost the women's game everywhere." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Chloe Kelly converted the decisive spot-kick in the Swiss city of Basel as Sarina Wiegman's team successfully defended the European women's crown they won at Wembley in 2022.

England's Lionesses return to heroes' welcome after Euro 2025 glory

Chloe Kelly scored a dramatic late winner in extra-time as reigning champions England came from behind to beat Italy 2-1 on Tuesday and reach the Women's Euro 2025 final. The Lionesses had been on the brink of elimination as they trailed to Barbara Bonansea's first-half strike for surprise semi-finalists Italy in Geneva.&nbsp;But after their remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat Sweden on penalties in last week's quarter-final, they pulled off more heroics here.&nbsp;Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and forced the extra period by equalising in the 96th minute, and fellow substitute Kelly completed the turnaround by following in to score the winner in the 119th minute after her penalty had been saved.&nbsp;Sarina Wiegman's team are through to their third consecutive major tournament final and the 2022 European champions head to Basel for Sunday's showpiece.&nbsp;That will be either a repeat of the 2023 Women's World Cup final, which they lost to Spain, or a repeat of the last Euro final, in which they defeated Germany at Wembley -- those sides meet in their semi on Wednesday.&nbsp;"Luckily I got there for the tap-in," Kelly told broadcaster ITV.&nbsp;"Three finals on the bounce and we want more. This team shows resilience but we fight back and hopefully we can make it easier for ourselves."&nbsp;It has been quite a ride for England, with this victory following their comeback against Sweden, while the nature of the defeat for Italy was cruel.&nbsp;Many of their players were in tears at full time, as the Azzurre -- who are ranked 13th in the world and were not expected to come this far -- fell short of reaching a first final since the 1997 Euros.&nbsp;"It hurts but we are very proud of all that we have done," said Italy coach Andrea Soncin. "We will need a few days to overcome this bitter moment but we will keep growing."Wiegman made one change from the quarter-final win against Sweden, as Esme Morgan came into the defence for Jess Carter.&nbsp;The latter had been the target of racial abuse which drew a backlash from Wiegman and England's players in the build-up to this game.&nbsp;England had the backing of the majority of the 26,539 crowd in Geneva and they had the momentum in the opening stages of the match.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-to-keep-wickets-in-manchester-test-skipper-gill-shares-details-along-with-kambojs-debut-and-nairs-place-in-playing-xi-1753206674064">IND vs ENG: Gill reveals Pant's status as keeper-batter, uncapped pacer Kamboj's debut and Nair's place in playing XI for Manchester Test</a><h2>Subs make difference again</h2>However, Italy looked fresher and they opened the scoring on 33 minutes as Sofia Cantore reached the right byline before delivering a cross which found Bonansea at the back post.The Juventus player controlled before lashing a shot into the roof of the net from close range.&nbsp;Alessia Russo and Lauren James came closest for England in the first half, but Italy held their lead into the break and Wiegman then sent on Beth Mead for the second half.&nbsp;Lauren Hemp headed onto the roof of the net and an Alex Greenwood long-ranger was punched away by goalkeeper Laura Giuliani, who was booked for timewasting with almost 20 minutes still to play.&nbsp;With the clock ticking down the England coach introduced Kelly followed by Agyemang, two players who had already made a big impact off the bench against Sweden.&nbsp;Agyemang, the teenage Arsenal forward, replaced captain and centre-back Leah Williamson in a clear sign of desperation in the Lionesses camp.&nbsp;Italy could have killed the game off but Hannah Hampton made a crucial double save to deny Michela Cambiaghi and Emma Severini at a corner in the 86th minute.&nbsp;That proved crucial, as England equalised in the sixth of seven allotted added minutes at the end of normal time.&nbsp;Giuliani failed to hold an awkward cross into the box from England's right and the ball came out to Agyemang who took a touch and blasted in.&nbsp;Once again England faced extra time. They had the momentum, and Giuliani did well to stop a Kelly corner going straight in with 108 minutes played.&nbsp;The remarkable Agyemang then saw a lobbed effort beat Giuliani but come back off the crossbar with four minutes of extra time remaining.&nbsp;Penalties loomed, but instead it would be just one spot-kick, awarded when Mead was pushed over right in front of the Croatian referee.&nbsp;Kelly's effort was saved by Giuliani, but she was on hand to convert the rebound and send England into another final.&nbsp;"We don't do things the easy way in this tournament but we find a way to win," defender Lucy Bronze said.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and forced the extra period by equalising in the 96th minute, and fellow substitute Kelly completed the turnaround by following in to score the winner in the 119th minute after her penalty had been saved.

Chloe Kelly scored a dramatic late winner in extra-time as reigning champions England came from behind to beat Italy 2-1 on Tuesday and reach the Women's Euro 2025 final. The Lionesses had been on the brink of elimination as they trailed to Barbara Bonansea's first-half strike for surprise semi-finalists Italy in Geneva. But after their remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat Sweden on penalties in last week's quarter-final, they pulled off more heroics here. Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and forced the extra period by equalising in the 96th minute, and fellow substitute Kelly completed the turnaround by following in to score the winner in the 119th minute after her penalty had been saved. Sarina Wiegman's team are through to their third consecutive major tournament final and the 2022 European champions head to Basel for Sunday's showpiece. That will be either a repeat of the 2023 Women's World Cup final, which they lost to Spain, or a repeat of the last Euro final, in which they defeated Germany at Wembley -- those sides meet in their semi on Wednesday. "Luckily I got there for the tap-in," Kelly told broadcaster ITV. "Three finals on the bounce and we want more. This team shows resilience but we fight back and hopefully we can make it easier for ourselves." It has been quite a ride for England, with this victory following their comeback against Sweden, while the nature of the defeat for Italy was cruel. Many of their players were in tears at full time, as the Azzurre -- who are ranked 13th in the world and were not expected to come this far -- fell short of reaching a first final since the 1997 Euros. "It hurts but we are very proud of all that we have done," said Italy coach Andrea Soncin. "We will need a few days to overcome this bitter moment but we will keep growing." Wiegman made one change from the quarter-final win against Sweden, as Esme Morgan came into the defence for Jess Carter. The latter had been the target of racial abuse which drew a backlash from Wiegman and England's players in the build-up to this game. England had the backing of the majority of the 26,539 crowd in Geneva and they had the momentum in the opening stages of the match. ALSO READ | IND vs ENG: Gill reveals Pant's status as keeper-batter, uncapped pacer Kamboj's debut and Nair's place in playing XI for Manchester Test Subs make difference again However, Italy looked fresher and they opened the scoring on 33 minutes as Sofia Cantore reached the right byline before delivering a cross which found Bonansea at the back post. The Juventus player controlled before lashing a shot into the roof of the net from close range. Alessia Russo and Lauren James came closest for England in the first half, but Italy held their lead into the break and Wiegman then sent on Beth Mead for the second half. Lauren Hemp headed onto the roof of the net and an Alex Greenwood long-ranger was punched away by goalkeeper Laura Giuliani, who was booked for timewasting with almost 20 minutes still to play. With the clock ticking down the England coach introduced Kelly followed by Agyemang, two players who had already made a big impact off the bench against Sweden. Agyemang, the teenage Arsenal forward, replaced captain and centre-back Leah Williamson in a clear sign of desperation in the Lionesses camp. Italy could have killed the game off but Hannah Hampton made a crucial double save to deny Michela Cambiaghi and Emma Severini at a corner in the 86th minute. That proved crucial, as England equalised in the sixth of seven allotted added minutes at the end of normal time. Giuliani failed to hold an awkward cross into the box from England's right and the ball came out to Agyemang who took a touch and blasted in. Once again England faced extra time. They had the momentum, and Giuliani did well to stop a Kelly corner going straight in with 108 minutes played. The remarkable Agyemang then saw a lobbed effort beat Giuliani but come back off the crossbar with four minutes of extra time remaining. Penalties loomed, but instead it would be just one spot-kick, awarded when Mead was pushed over right in front of the Croatian referee. Kelly's effort was saved by Giuliani, but she was on hand to convert the rebound and send England into another final. "We don't do things the easy way in this tournament but we find a way to win," defender Lucy Bronze said. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and forced the extra period by equalising in the 96th minute, and fellow substitute Kelly completed the turnaround by following in to score the winner in the 119th minute after her penalty had been saved.

Women's Euro 2025: Chloe Kelly hits winner as late drama takes England into final

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England's Lionesses return to heroes' welcome after Euro 2025 glory

Women's Euro: Chloe Kelly hits winner as late drama takes England into final